Match awards from Bayern Munich’s agonizing 1-1 draw vs Gladbach

There is nothing more to say that hasn’t already been said. Bayern Munich was simply outstanding against Borussia Mönchengladbach, and it took a herculean effort from goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who had one of the best games of any goalkeeper in football history (yes, and I stand by it) and officially the Bundesliga’s best goalkeeping performance of all time, and some very poor refereeing to ensure that both teams shared the spoils.

Jersey Swap: Kouadio Koné

The midfielder was an absolute thorn-up Bayern’s backside in every conceivable way. He was in charge of most of the distribution and link-up between defense and attack, and he also drew many fouls. His diving skills were also on point and would’ve made Neymar and Salah proud. He was the primary reason Kimmich’s influence on the game was somewhat reduced, resulting in Müller functioning as a box-to-box 8.

Der Bomber: Kingsley Coman

In a game that saw Sadio Mané have a poor outing per his usual standards (yes, he wasn’t good, and he puts Morata and Werner to shame with the number of offside goals he’s had so far this season), Coman was a spark on the right flank for a vast majority, forcing 3 Gladbach defenders to commit to him at all times. At one instance, he straight-up bullied Marcus Thuram, took the ball past 2 defenders, nutmegged the aforementioned player, and fired the ball just wide.

Yes, the finishing could’ve been better, but you just cannot write off the effort. It was simply sensational, and with better finishing from Mané and better final-third ball retention from the other players, this scoreline could’ve been different.

Der Fußballgott: Thomas Müller

Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

In a game where Kimmich and Sabitzer controlled the midfield proceedings without much resistance (in large part due to the low block Gladbach had in place), they enjoyed too much possession, but couldn’t do much with it. And that’s where Müller came in. Dropping down deep to collect balls and split the defense with passes, drifting wide to help overload the flanks, and generating chances within the box like a true AM: Müller did it ALL.

He really should’ve had at least 4 assists this game, and Mané, Coman, and Sané are all partially to blame for that. It was them and the referee who prevented Müller from racking up more assists and further boosting his amazing stat sheet. He can certainly return to the dressing room with his head held high.

Der Kaiser: Alphonso Davies

This was a very tough pick since Lucas Hernandez also had a superb game. Upamecano would’ve been a straightforward pick up until the 43rd minute, when he decided to revert back to being the Upamecano we grew tired of last season. Some very poor ball control (which was also super unnecessary) led to Thuram receiving the ball in acres of space, and well ... you know the rest.

Davies gets the nod over Lucas simply because of how crucial he was from a tactical standpoint. There were several instances when he’d use his pace and his physicality to beat the Gladbach midfielders and wingers to the ball. He also won the ball back with his tenacity on several occasions, and his relentlessness and lung-busting runs also created several chances in the opposition’s box.

A large part of Nagelsmann’s tactics this season revolves around Davies, and with good reason. He’s a one-of-a-kind LB, and there are some things that he brings to the table that are simply invaluable. It is a pity that he didn’t get an assist this game because he certainly did enough to earn one.

Meister of the Match: Yann Sommer

I’ll go ahead and say it: Yann Sommer stat-pads against Bayern Munich. Just like Lewandowski against Wolfsburg, Messi against Sevilla, Doncic against the Suns, Sommer against Bayern. It is a personal vendetta at this point, and it certainly does seem like playing against Bayern is free motivation for Sommer, who channels his inner Lev Yashin and inflicts pain and suffering on the Bayern attack.

The Gladbach keeper had the best game for any goalkeeper in the history of the Bundesliga. Officially.

This xG map paints a very funny picture (funny for the neutral football fan) and a very horrifying, depressing image in the heads of Bayern fans. The Gladbach goal was peppered with a league-high 20(!!!) shots on target from 33 shots. And Yann Sommer saved all but one. Just plain agony. One can hope that Manchester United signs him, lol.

If that wasn’t enough, Sommer also had 4 clearances, 2 punches, 1 high claim, and a whopping 74 touches, earning him a 10/10 rating on SofaScore. This game also marks the most saves made in a single match in their ENTIRE database. Sommer was priceless for Gladbach today, and he really tortured both the Bayern attack and the Bayern fanbase.

Just a game to forget. Benjamin Pavard certainly deserves a shoutout, as does Leroy Sané for the drawing goal. There isn’t anything more Nagelsmann could’ve done, who also threw the kitchen sink in with De Ligt at ST. Make no mistake - this was a great performance from the Bavarians ... Gladbach just had Sommer, luck, and the referee on their side.

But as always, we move on.

Interested in more analysis of the game? Why not check out our postgame podcast? Listen to it below or at this link.

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